AP The Morning Wire - May 07, 2025 - by Sarah Naffa - India fires missiles at Pakistan in a significant escalation; cardinals will begin the secret voting ritual to elect a new pope; and a declassified US intelligence memo contradicts Trump claims linking a gang to the Venezuelan government

 

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By Sarah Naffa May 07, 2025

In the news today: India fires missiles at Pakistan in a significant escalation; cardinals will begin the secret voting ritual to elect a new pope; and a declassified US intelligence memo contradicts Trump claims linking a gang to the Venezuelan government. Also, most travelers must have a state-issued license now to fly within the US. An army soldier examines a building damaged by a suspected Indian missile attack near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan controlled Kashmir, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/M.D. Mughal) WORLD NEWS India fires missiles into Pakistani territory in what Islamabad calls ‘act of war’ Early Wednesday, India fired missiles at Pakistan that hit six locations, killing at least 26 people, including women and children, said Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif. Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors since an attack in which gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, at a popular meadow in the disputed territory of Kashmir. Read more.

What to know: India said the strikes were retaliation for last month's massacre. They targeted at least nine sites “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned,” India’s Defense Ministry said. Pakistan claimed it shot down several Indian fighter jets. Three planes fell onto villages in India-controlled territory. At least seven civilians were also killed in the region by Pakistani shelling, Indian police and medics said. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the airstrikes and said his country would retaliate. “Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India,” he said. India accuses Pakistan of being behind the April 22 attack in Kashmir, which was claimed by a militant group calling itself Kashmir Resistance. India says the group is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a disbanded Pakistani militant group. Islamabad denies involvement.  Several Indian states held civil defense drills Wednesday to train civilians and security personnel to respond in case of any “hostile attacks.” Such drills are rare in non-crisis times.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: AP photographer documents aircraft debris on school building in outskirts of Srinagar India’s leader Modi touted all was well in Kashmir. A massacre of tourists shattered that claim WATCH: Trump says he hopes fighting between India and Pakistan 'ends very quickly' RELIGION The conclave to elect the next pope is set to begin 133 cardinals begin the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. Read more.

What to know: The cardinals, from 70 countries, will be sequestered from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church. Francis named 108 of the 133 “princes of the church,” choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries that had never had a cardinal before. His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the “global south” has injected an unusual degree of uncertainty in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense. While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting. For the past century, it has taken between three and eight ballots to find a pope.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Cardinal urges voters to elect pope who prizes unity in diversity and avoids personal interest What to know about the conclave to elect the next pope These are the US cardinals who will vote for the next pope POLITICS Declassified US intelligence memo contradicts Trump’s claims linking gang to Venezuelan government The assessment confirms that analysts at American spy agencies found no coordination between Tren de Aragua, a gang that originated in a prison in Venezuela, and the Venezuelan government, contradicting statements the Trump administration used to justify invoking the Alien Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan immigrants. Read more.

Why this matters: The redacted memo from the National Intelligence Council said there was no indication that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or other senior government officials are directing the actions of Tren de Aragua. It however noted that FBI analysts had reason to believe some Venezuelan officials may have helped some gang members move to the U.S. and other countries “to advance what they see as the Maduro regime’s goal of destabilizing governments and undermining public safety.” Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law, to speed up the deportations of people his administration has labeled members of the gang. Two federal judges have found that Trump is improperly using the Alien Enemies Act and barred the administration from removing immigrants under it. A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, rejected claims that the assessment contradicted the White House and noted that it did find some ties between mid- and low-level officials in Maduro’s government and the gang. Democrats in Congress welcomed the assessment’s release and questioned why Gabbard has supported Trump’s justification for deportations, given her knowledge of the assessment.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ In one day, two separate judges rule Trump improperly used Alien Enemies Act against gang   NYPD launches probe into why it gave a Palestinian woman’s sealed arrest records to ICE   A man with an open asylum case was deported. His lawyers want to know if there are others   Trump says only 21 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza now believed to be alive   Fighter jet landing on USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier goes overboard, forcing pilots to eject   Trump says the US will stop bombing Yemen’s Houthis after rebels say they’ll stop targeting ships   Trump plans to announce the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials tell AP   Columbia University lays off nearly 180 after Trump pulled $400M over his antisemitism concerns   Judge expresses sympathy for fired federal workers but questions if reinstatement is proper remedy   Report finds big drop in FBI’s use of intelligence database to search for information on Americans   US Embassy warns of mass shooting threat in Honduras   Judge bars Trump administration from shrinking agencies that fund libraries, settle labor disputes   Vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board is unexpectedly removed from position   Thousands march over concern Panama bending to US government   Federal Reserve to face tough balancing act between fighting inflation and lifting growth   US trade deficit hits record high as businesses, consumers try to get ahead of Trump tariffs   Court upholds racketeering convictions of ex-Ohio House speaker and lobbyist in $60M bribery scheme   Pennsylvania governor’s residence to get an ‘anti-climb’ fence ADVERTISEMENT IN OTHER NEWS READ Romania election: Hard-right front-runner seeks to capitalize on voters’ discontent Gaza: Israeli strikes kill at least 59 as Israel prepares to ramp up its offensive Roger Fortson: Family sues over Florida deputy’s killing of US Airman REAL ID: Most travelers must have a state-issued license now to fly within the US Death penalty: AP and others challenge an Indiana law barring reporters from witnessing executions Motown luminary: Smokey Robinson accused by former housekeepers of sexual assault and rape Today in History: In 1945, Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II WATCH Prisoner swap: Zelenskyy welcomes back released Ukrainian POWs Jury selection: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' sex trafficking trial begins Soundball device: Blind young Kenyans learn soccer skills A CHANGE OF PACE Lemon Burst Floribunda Rose. (Jackson & Perkins via AP) 8 new varieties of rose plants to choose from as a Mother’s Day gift Mother’s Day is coming, and the flower and candy ads are everywhere. But instead of gifting your mom a bouquet of roses this year, why not give her a plant that will provide blossoms – and joy – for years to come?

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